Selfish
by Jessa May
Summary: Legolas was selfish, greedy and yearned for power. Will he ruin the Fellowship? *CHAPTER 10 IS UP! LAST CHAPTER! PLEASE R&R!*
1. Chapter 1 -- Almost Silent --

Selfish by Izzo  
  
--- INTRODUCTION ---  
  
1 Legolas was always helpful and watchful to the Fellowship. He was the one that could hear the quietest rustle in the trees, and see the smallest of things from miles away. But something inside of him changed. Something he couldn't figure out himself. He kept having these sudden urges to ruin all the plans, keep all the things he could sense to himself. Would his abrupt selfishness destroy the Fellowship's hope for the future?  
  
--- DISCLAIMER ---  
  
I don't own any of these characters so don't hurt me okay? Believe me I wish I did! ::runs away and cries:: ::waaaah::  
  
2  
  
3 Chapter 1 – Almost Silent  
  
"Come along now, everyone. There's no time to dawdle. Let's go." Aragorn hurried everyone along, traveling each day getting closer to Mordor. Legolas slightly resented the fact that Aragorn got to lead everyone now that Gandalf was gone. Why Aragorn? Why not him? He thought these things almost all the time. But every time he did, he just pushed the jealous thoughts aside. And besides, there was no time to ponder such trivial things. Legolas had a job to do, and he had to do it well. For everyone's sake.  
  
"Legolas, are you coming?" Aragorn asked, for Legolas stopped for a moment, caught up in a deep thought. Legolas looked up, startled by Aragorn's deep voice calling him out suddenly. "Yes, I'm coming." Legolas slowly started to walk again with the group, but his attitude was different all of a sudden. He no longer looked observant or watchful as he usually does, but instead he looked somewhat angry, and his face would turn angrier whenever Aragorn would start speaking. The jealousy burned so badly at his face that he walked with his head down. The little hobbits walking nearby noticed this, but were too afraid to say anything to him, in fear that he might snap at them. So they continued walking through the deep forests that they were now in, and no one said a word, not even a whisper.  
  
It soon turned to night, and Gimli and the hobbits went out to gather some wood for a small fire simply to keep them warm for awhile. Aragorn sat examining his sword, thinking deeply of how their journey would end. Close by, Legolas sat on the cold earth staring out into the pitch black night sky. His jealousy had cooled down a bit by now, but he still resisted talking to Aragorn, frightened by his own unexpected temper. Aragorn turned his eyes towards Legolas now, and when Legolas felt his eyes upon him, he turned away quickly, afraid to get angry again. "Legolas?" Aragorn asked quietly, for he sensed something was wrong. "What?" Legolas snapped back, feeling his own anger start to rise within him. He regretted saying that so harshly, but he couldn't take it back. "Is there something wrong? I only want to help, honestly." Aragorn knew Legolas could have an attitude and be very insolent at times, but he had never been like this.  
  
Legolas didn't respond at all, he was sick of being asked what was wrong or if he was feeling okay. He fixed his glance back on the darkness above him, looking up at the bright moon that gave some light to the black sky. But Aragorn kept pushing, for Aragorn had a job to look after the rest. "Did you see something? Something that could harm us?" Legolas slowly turned his head, not looking at Aragorn at all, but acknowledging that he did in fact hear him. Wait a minute, this is actually a good question. Did I see something? I think I did! Legolas probed through his mind, and remembered seeing something earlier that morning, but he refrained from telling anyone. Why didn't he tell someone? Indeed he did see something, and what he saw was a troop of Orcs trying as well as they could to follow the Fellowship, but they had got backtracked somehow. Still, why didn't Legolas say something then? Legolas decided to answer the question.  
  
"Yes, I believe I did see something early this day. There was a troop of Orcs following us, but they got slowed down for some reason and I think they lost us. I'm terribly sorry, I was completely distracted by other thoughts and it must have slipped my mind telling you this information." Legolas looked back up, for he didn't want to see Aragorn's reaction to the news he had just brought to his attention. "Well I'm glad you told me. You should have said something sooner, but obviously it didn't affect us; yet. We'll need to move fast tomorrow." Aragorn moved his gaze back to his sword as he did before, slowly polishing it until it was shiny again. Legolas felt his conscience slowly eating away at him as he looked out upon the glistening stars. Just because you stretch the truth somewhat or hold back telling the whole story doesn't mean you're wrong now, does it? No, of course not. But informing Aragorn that the Orcs were not backtracked as he said they were could have been very important… 


	2. Chapter 2 -- Whispers in the Darkness --

1 Chapter 2 – Whispers in the Darkness  
  
It was past midnight, and they had put out the fire before going to sleep. Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli and the four hobbits were all fast asleep, but Legolas rarely slept. He only lay on the ground looking far out at the tiny twinkles of light in the massive sky above him. His soft blue eyes were begging to be closed, but Legolas shook away the tiredness. He had to stay awake. He has to watch for enemies coming. But why should he have to? He also tried his hardest to shake that last thought away as well.  
  
It became harder and harder for Legolas to keep his eyes open. He couldn't control himself. He had to close his eyes. He HAD to! Finally, he decided to give in and close his eyes. But he promised himself he would only close them for a minute or two, and that was it. After two minutes, they would be wide-open ready to see anything…  
  
Legolas was gone completely. And no one was there to wake him up. He felt so strange, like he was in a totally different world. He could see vibrant colors surrounding him, and he had no idea where he was, but it definitely was not in the forest he had fell asleep in. He could hear faint whispers close to his ears. They were calling his name slowly, and they continued to get louder, and louder, and louder. "Come with us, Legolas…Come with us…", these unfamiliar voices said quietly. "You are better than them, Legolas. You are better than him! You are better than Aragorn…Come with us!" The voices grew louder as they continued to speak to Legolas. "Come with us, Legolas…we can help you win. We can help you be the best! He can not help you, we can help you. FOLLOW US!"  
  
Legolas was stirring and flailing his arms back and forth as he lay on the cool grass of the forest. Aragorn slowly opened his eyes from his slumber and noticed Legolas tossing and turning on the ground, and began to panic. Aragorn jumped to his feet and ran over to Legolas's side. Legolas was mumbling something, but Aragorn could not make it out. Aragorn shook Legolas hard to wake him up. "Legolas! LEGOLAS! Wake up! Please…you're having a nightmare!"  
  
Legolas instantly opened his eyes widely and gasped, startled to find Aragorn shaking him relentlessly. Without any thought, Legolas shoved him away and started screaming at him. "YOU WERE TRYING TO KILL ME, WEREN'T YOU ARAGORN?" Legolas stated bluntly. He was having a fit, and Aragorn kept backing away from him slowly and easily, not to get him anymore vexed than he already was. "No, Legolas. Why would I want to kill you?" Aragorn said gently. Legolas sat back down on the ground with his head in his hands to try to calm himself down. "Why wouldn't you…is the real question don't you think?" Legolas retorted snobbishly, showing his insolence once again. Aragorn shook his head and laughed a little. "You were simply having a bad dream, Legolas, now please try to get over yourself and get some rest. You have gone completely insane. Try to go back to sleep before we wake the others." Aragorn walked a few feet away from where Legolas was sitting and lied back down on the green forest floor. He closed his eyes quickly, acting as if nothing had happened. Legolas glared intensely at Aragorn's back, but decided it was a waste of time and soon lied back down himself to keep watch of everything.  
  
Legolas's selfish thoughts took over him again inevitably. What were those strange voices I heard? Who were they, and where can I find them? Legolas only wished he could answer all these questions himself but he didn't know what the answers were at all. As he looked out over the forest, he saw flickers of light, and these lights were not stars. They seemed to be torches, which means the Orcs were hot on their trail. Legolas panicked. What was he supposed to do? Everyone was sound asleep. He could only wait awhile longer to find out… 


	3. Chapter 3 -- Flickers of Light --

1 Chapter 3 – Flickers of Light  
  
Still late in the night, everyone was sleeping peacefully except for Legolas. Some time had passed since the tantrum Legolas had thrown, and he was keeping watch as he had been before. The flickers of light in the forest continued to grow bigger and bigger as time was passing, and Legolas was still unsure of what he should do himself. If he woke everyone up, Aragorn would know that he lied, and Legolas did not want to deal with that. But if he didn't wake them up, they all surely would be killed and the journey would end right then and there. He certainly did not want to be killed. So he did what he thought was best.  
  
"Aragorn, Aragorn! Please wake up!" Legolas slowly and carefully shook Aragorn out of his sleep. Legolas could now hear the ugly cries of the Orcs becoming louder and louder each time he shook Aragorn. Aragorn drowsily sat up. "What is it Legolas?" Aragorn was now up on his feet, sword in hand prepared for anything. He turned around quickly facing the massive trees behind him, for he now also saw the bright lights moving quickly and heard the horrendous yells from the Orcs through the blackness. "Orcs…" Aragorn said coldly. "Wake the others up. We have some work to do." Legolas did as Aragorn said as he's used to doing, but he gave him a dirty look while Aragorn wasn't paying attention. Legolas could feel his jealousy rising, but he tried his hardest to push the feelings away. He had his job, and right now he had to do it well for the sake of the Fellowship. He was the one responsible for this, and he was the one who had to fix it.  
  
Everyone was now fully awake and ready to fight. Gimli and Boromir protected the hobbits, while Aragorn and Legolas were both ready to take action. Soon enough the pack of Orcs reached the eight, and they began fighting heavily. The first Orc was huge and ran after Aragorn. But Aragorn fought back hard as he always did, and stabbed the Orc a number of times before it fell limp to the ground. Gimli did his best to fight with his sharp axe, chopping off countless limbs and heads. Boromir did the same with his sword. The hobbits did their best to use the little skills that they had with their small swords to stab an Orc here and there, but they did try. Legolas also fought strong and hard, using his archery skills to kill as many Orcs as possible. Numerous arrows flew through the air, piercing the Orcs one by one. It was a long, severe battle, but eventually the Fellowship won. Dozens of Orc lie still and dead in the blood-soaked grass that was once dark green.  
  
The sky became a little bit brighter now, and morning was near. Aragorn led the group down a steep grassy hill that led out of the forest. Everyone except Aragorn and Legolas seemed a little more exhausted than usual, and most of them were slowly dragging along. Legolas stayed at the back of the line, for he didn't want to stay at the front with Aragorn. He was afraid of his own jealous feelings, that they might come back to haunt him out of nowhere and cause trouble. They walked all day long and they found another spot to rest in for a few hours. It was another forest, but this forest seemed unique compared to the other one. "Here we are everyone. Ahh, I remember this forest now. I've heard hundreds of stories about it. It's called Lalelasill. Evil things surround this forest, but we will be safe from them, if we all stick close together. We will stay here to rest for awhile." Aragorn and the others pressed on deeper into the forest, but Legolas was somewhat hesitant. What if he heard those strange voices again? Were they in fact from this very forest? In spite of what his mind was warning him about, he ran a little to catch up with the rest of the group. His face certainly showed his anxiety, but once again he tried to hide it by looking away when anyone would glance at him.  
  
Legolas wondered if the voices would come back that night, even if he wasn't asleep. If they did, what should he say to them? Should he follow them as they wished he should? He did agree with what these unusual voices were saying to him. It wouldn't be so bad if he did as they told him, would it? 


	4. Chapter 4 -- Wasting Time --

1 Chapter 4 – Wasting Time  
  
Deep in the forest of Lalelasill is where they did rest, and the time they did spend there seemed like forever, at least in Legolas's mind. This time around Boromir and Legolas did the duty of searching out firewood, while the rest sat around chatting away.  
  
There was silence between Boromir and Legolas as they walked deeper into Lalelasill to find some wood for the small fire they would soon create. Boromir noticed how pale Legolas's face had become now, and it was hard to tell if an elf was unusually pale seeing that their complexions are very fair to begin with. But this was very obvious. "Is there something wrong, Legolas?" Boromir asked without hesitating. "You've been acting very strange lately, you're making me very suspicious." Legolas didn't even respond. He didn't want someone else on his case. Boromir disliked being ignored, so he tried to get at least a little smile to come from Legolas's worried face. He got down on his knees right in front of Legolas, stopping him in his tracks, and tried to be as dramatic as possible. He clasped his hands together shaking them for the "dramatic" effect he wanted in front of Legolas, as if begging to be told what the problem was. "Please dearest Prince of Mirkwood! I promise not to tell a single soul!"  
  
Legolas did crack a small smile, and started to laugh a little. "You are completely ridiculous." Legolas said purposely with a superior tone. He shook his head and walked around Boromir, still on his knees but now hanging his head down in disappointment. Boromir stood up suddenly, surprised at the new thought that arose in his mind.  
  
"This has to do with Aragorn, doesn't it?" Boromir asked slowly, realizing that his guess to what was wrong was pretty much right on target. He began to smile, for Legolas stopped almost instantly after this question, and Boromir knew in that moment that he had to be correct. Legolas cautiously turned around to face Boromir who was a few feet away from him. His face was no longer pale, but was now turning red, either from embarrassment that someone else had noticed his raging jealousy, or from anger simply caused by hearing the name Aragorn; the name that he was growing to envy and detest.  
  
"Why do you waste so much time asking silly questions? We need to find some wood. Let's go." Legolas turned back around hastily and continued walking through the corrupt forest surrounding them. Boromir grinned and began to walk with him. "So is it true then?" Boromir sneaked the question in for one last try. "Nevermind it." Legolas replied immediately as not to bring up the subject again. Boromir sighed and together they eventually found some wood for their fire.  
  
As the two returned from the deepest parts of Lalelasill, they found the rest of the Fellowship carrying on as they did before. The hobbits were talking about their favorite foods back in the Shire, and whom they missed the most. Gimli listened intently to their conversation, while Aragorn sat back on a damp rock smoking his pipe. Boromir sat next to Aragorn and whispered something to him. This made Legolas very nervous because he was fearful that Boromir was telling him something about their conversation while looking for wood. Aragorn blew the smoke out of his mouth slowly as he listened carefully to Boromir's quiet words, and Aragorn's gaze that was then on the grass gradually moved to Legolas. Legolas could feel his heart pounding hard now, and the blood circulating his body began to rise in temperature. He decided it would do him no good to stand around and let them stare and whisper about him (at least that's what he thought they were doing), so he decided to lie down close to the fire and stare into the gigantic mass above him as he did the night before.  
  
The flames in the crackling fire could be seen in Legolas's bright blue eyes as he listened to the hobbits' playful laughter close by. The cool wind was blowing softly now, and it pushed his long blonde hair across his face, which he shoved away reflexively. He wanted to be alone. Away from the others for awhile, but he couldn't just leave. But what about those voices? He smiled as he thought about the things they said to him. He very much thought their messages were true, and wished they would come back and speak to him again. Maybe…just maybe he could find them for himself. He was in this devilish forest, and they most likely lived in this forest. He had an idea. If he dozed off for awhile, they would possibly come back. Why not? He felt he had nothing to lose.  
  
So he did it. He closed his eyes with almost no effort, and he was absolutely out of it.  
  
"It looks as though Legolas has finally fallen asleep, and without a night terror either!" Aragorn said jokingly to himself. He put out the fire, and the seven laid close together on the moist forest floor to try to get some sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~* Some time later in the night… *~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Frodo, being the opposite of a sound sleeper opened his eyes carefully to see that everyone was still around him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes so he could see as well as he could in the blackness all around him. He counted the figures lying close to him. He counted – 1, 2, 3, 4 hobbits including himself, 1 dwarf, 2 humans, and…  
  
WAIT! Frodo jumped to his feet and shook Aragorn fiercely. "Aragorn! ARAGORN!" Frodo whined and felt tears soon coming to his big blue eyes. Aragorn shocked as ever practically flew up from the ground. "What is it? What's going on?"  
  
They were now all awake by all the noise Frodo had made. Frodo didn't even have to continue, and he almost couldn't because hot tears were beginning to blind his eyes. Aragorn was stunned. And so was everyone else.  
  
"Where is Legolas???" 


	5. Chapter 5 -- Evil Trickery --

1 Chapter 5 – Evil Trickery  
  
Legolas sluggishly awoke from his short slumber. He felt something nudging at him, and heard soft whispers near his pointed ears. They weren't harsh nudges, but rather loving nudges, as if someone that truly loved him wanted him to wake up and come with them. He was very drowsy, and it was hard for him to open his eyes. But he felt he needed to force himself up to find out who these whispers were from. Just think, these whispers could be from the same being that came to him that other night in the forest they were previously resting in. The thought drove him absolutely wild and knew he must go and find these "creatures" that wanted him so badly…  
  
He sat up and observed everyone around him. They were all asleep, and the fire next to him was now gone, and all that came from it were thin clouds of smoke gently rising to the crisp air. He sat there for a moment, trying to figure out how late in the night it was. He assumed it was at least two hours past midnight. It was quite pointless to just sit here and do nothing while he could easily make his escape now. He suddenly felt a nudge again on his shoulder blade, and automatically flung his body around to catch whom was responsible. He could see his breath pounding against the freezing air in rhythm with his heartbeat, but nothing else. His striking blue eyes, now wider than ever, moved frantically in every direction to search out the creature responsible for these mysterious whispers and nudges.  
  
He decided to take the one chance that he had to run off deep into Lalelasill and identify these whisperers. So he did. He cautiously stood up, not making a sound. He should be grateful that he was a light-footed elf who could rarely make brown leaves crackle under him when stepped upon. Carefully, he walked away from the others and soon disappeared into the dark, gloomy trees high above him.  
  
Reaching a good distance away from the rest of the Fellowship, he decided it was okay to stop walking so quietly. He stopped and looked at his surroundings. It was a scary looking forest, not somewhere people in their right minds would want to stay. He leaned up against a gigantic tree and let out a sigh of relief. "I cannot believe I actually got past them!" Legolas laughed lightly to himself, acknowledging his own bravery. He felt good. He felt that he did the right thing; at least the right thing for himself. And that's all that mattered to him: himself and no one else.  
  
Out of nowhere, Legolas felt dizzy. He felt like his head was spinning and he couldn't see straight. The trees kept moving around, and he tried to shake his head hard to regain his normal state. But it didn't work. Leaning against the tree, he slid himself down into a crouching position, hands now holding his head in the pain he was suddenly feeling. Before he knew it, he had fallen over and had passed out on the wet grass.  
  
"Where am I?" Legolas tried to get up, but something pushed him down to the ground again. He struggled to open his eyes, but finally managed to. When they opened up, a smile quickly grew on his face, and he had not smiled for some time now. "Who are you? And where am I please?"  
  
The tiny fairy giggled softly and looked at the other fairies around her, and they all began to giggle. "You are where you always wanted to be, my love." They all began giggling again flirtatiously. But these were no ordinary fairies that you read about in your average fairy tales mind you. These fairies were cruel and full of hate. They were a tiny breed that Saruman had created secretly, and the evil forest of Lalelasill was where they dwelled. These were the "mysterious creatures" that were whispering things to Legolas late that night and the night in the other forest. They had a disastrous plan for Legolas to help them with, and they only hoped he would accept their invitation to help them.  
  
With Legolas's vision now totally restored, he noticed something on these little fairies. They had little horns sticking out from the bouncy curls piled on their heads, and this discovery shocked him. "You aren't going to hurt me, are you?" He asked innocently, for he was a little scared now. They all started to laugh. "Of course not, Legolas! Do not be afraid. We are the ones who have been talking to you late in the night. We need your help."  
  
Legolas was now sitting up and paying full attention to every word that came from their small, red lips. "But what happened back there when I was leaning against that tree, why did I pass out like –"  
  
"Hush! There's no need to worry yourself over things that do not matter. All we can tell you is that what happened to you earlier needed to occur so we could take you to our home deep in this forest of Lalelasill. You would have never found us if you did not pass out. So we did what we had to do to get you here. Now, there is no need to worry anymore about that, for we have told all we are allowed to."  
  
Legolas felt somewhat relieved, but not completely. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know why they were coming to him. So he simply asked. "Why am I here? I mean, why were you telling me the things you were? About Aragorn and everything? How could you possibly know these truths which I have kept from everyone?"  
  
"Let's just say we know a lot of things that you don't know. For instance, the Ring of Power? It is not! In a sense it is a ring of power, but it is surely not an evil ring. It is actually a very good ring, which was made for the purpose of kindness. But obviously the story was twisted a bit. Your little "Fellowship" as you call it wants to destroy the ring to take the GOODNESS away from the world, and it is easy to do because there is so little goodness in our world to begin with. So, we have come to you for help."  
  
Legolas was very trustful, and seemed to believe what these fairies were saying. Even though the horns threw him off a bit, he misjudged them. He was sure they were telling him the truth.  
  
"Okay, so what do you need my help with?" Legolas questioned sincerely.  
  
"Well…to put it simply, we need you to get the ring. We want you to somehow get the ring from Frodo, and bring it back to us. We want to preserve the small amount of goodness left in this world of evil, that is all." They all smiled in time with each other. Legolas couldn't help but smile back. "I don't know about this…" Legolas's face became worried again. How did he know they were telling him the truth? How could he be absolutely sure they were?  
  
The fairies looked at each other with panic in their tiny, sparkling eyes of gold. They began to whisper nervously. "Legolas…listen to us. We know your secret. I know you yearn to be the greatest, and you are, although the others do not see it this way. They see Aragorn as their leader, but in truth, you are the real leader. Aragorn will turn on the others, including you eventually, and possibly try to kill you. You do not need that fear in your mind, do you? We can make everyone in Middle Earth see you as the best, as you are meant to be seen. But the only way this can happen is if you follow our direction, and give us the ring. You will be seen as a hero, as a savior to the entire universe. Trust us. We are the only ones who know the truth about the ring. Please?"  
  
Legolas was torn. He felt his conscience pulling him back and forth, first to the fairies, and then back to the Fellowship, which he felt was his second family. What was he supposed to do? He did agree with their feelings on Aragorn, but he wasn't exactly sure if he should commit to this. He had to choose…  
  
"Well…" Legolas began calmly, letting out a sigh on the way. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gave his answer… 


	6. Chapter 6 -- An Unexpected Finding --

1 Chapter 6 – An Unexpected Finding  
  
"Why not?" He answered matter-of-factly. The little fairies advised Legolas of all the things he should do. They taught him how to play little mind games with everyone else in order to successfully get the ring. They brought out the worst in him, but they told him what he wanted to hear. So he stuck with them.  
  
~*~*~* Meanwhile… ~*~*~*  
  
The Fellowship scurried around in search for Legolas. They looked up and down, left and right, everywhere imaginable in that hellish forest for their companion Legolas. But they couldn't find him. They all stopped for a moment to catch their breath. They had been searching for a couple hours now, and were at the brink of giving up. Everyone except Frodo…  
  
They stopped at a steep ledge far into the forest, and Aragorn advised them not to go looking down there. "The worst of creatures live down there, and we cannot subject ourselves to getting killed." They all looked at Aragorn somewhat disappointed that they couldn't go farther than this point to look for their dearest friend. But Frodo wasn't willing to stop and give up their search. "We can't just give up, Aragorn. What if he's down there? What if he's hurt? We have no way of knowing if we don't go and look." Frodo looked very frustrated. He began to dash getting closer and closer to the ledge that separated the good from the evil. Boromir ran after him and grabbed him, carrying him back to the others. Frodo kicked and yelled, but Boromir kept walking. "IT'S UNFAIR!" Frodo began to feel the tears in his eyes again. "We need him. We can't go on without his strength. We must find him! Please?" They all looked at Aragorn, waiting for his response. "Alright, Frodo. I will go down there and look for him. But you all must stay up here and watch me from here okay?" Frodo's eyes brightened a little now, and he couldn't contain himself. He ran and hugged Aragorn. Frodo had the biggest smile on his face. "Thank you, thank you so much." Aragorn stroked Frodo's dark, curly hair and cracked a small smile. "I will find him, at least I will try my hardest to. No need to worry. I will be back."  
  
The others watched as Aragorn jumped off the steep ledge. He held his sword in his right hand, waving it around waiting for anything to pop out of the trees and attack. He crept deeper and deeper into Lalelasill, but still he saw no elf. He stood for a moment, looking around to notice anything that was slightly off. He heard a rustle in the enormous tree's branches above him, and quickly looked up. Out of nowhere, a body seemed to be thrown by something out of the tree. He backed away not to be hit by this body, and the body crashed into a bush.  
  
He stood still for a moment, trying to identify the body. He noticed it had long, blonde hair and immediately ran towards the bush panicking, in fear that it was Legolas, possibly dead. When he got to the bush, he picked up the body and lied it on the ground. It was Legolas! He checked for breathing, and he could feel a pulse. He sighed in relief and looked up at the tree above him, but he saw nothing in the tree that could have pushed him out. Legolas had dirt all over his face and he looked as though he was asleep. Aragorn touched his cheek, and it was cold as ice. Suddenly Legolas's eyes opened in shock that something was touching his face. But when he saw that it was Aragorn, he began to relax. "Oh it's only you, Aragorn." Legolas said. Aragorn nodded his head. "Yes, Legolas, where have you been? We've been looking for you for hours!" Legolas felt the anger rising in Aragorn's voice, even though he tried not to sound like that. "I simply went off to explore the forest, and…and before I knew it, I…I fell asleep." Legolas's eyes slowly began to close, but Aragorn shook him hard before they could close completely again. "How do you fall asleep in a tree, Legolas? Tell me that!"  
  
Legolas's eyes shot open again. "I don't know, I was asleep! Something carried me up there probably but seeing that I was asleep, how could I know?" Aragorn shook his head and stood up. He reached out his hand to pull Legolas up. Legolas brushed off his clothing and looked at Aragorn. "I don't know what happened to you but try to snap out of this. Something did something to you, something evil I'm sure. I hope nothing too horrible happened though…"  
  
"Don't worry I'm fine!" Legolas was suddenly his normal self again. "Let's go back with the others."  
  
Legolas began to walk back towards the outer edges of Lalelasill, and Aragorn just stood there watching him for a moment. It was very windy, and he noticed Legolas's long blonde hair blowing behind him. He glanced at it, and looked away at the trees, but something made him look twice. He looked at his hair again, and he noticed a red streak in the middle of his hair. Aragorn found this very strange, for elves did not grow red hair. They mainly had blonde hair. Aragorn began walking and caught up with Legolas, but Aragorn was very curious and suspicious of just what happened to Legolas in the most evil part of Lalelasill… 


	7. Chapter 7 -- The Plan --

1 Chapter 7 – "The Plan"  
  
The Fellowship, now rested began on their journey to destroy the ring again. It had been three days since Legolas was lost, and everyone seemed to be getting along again, even Aragorn and Legolas oddly enough. It seemed as though Legolas was his normal self again. He wasn't acting pompous and rude as he had been acting those last couple of days. They all saw an adjustment in his attitude. But what they didn't know was that it was just a simple mind game taught to Legolas by the deceitful fairies of Lalelasill…  
  
They eventually came upon a few stray Orcs as they kept getting closer to Mordor, but since there weren't many, it wasn't a hard fight. The little hobbits continued to get better and better at using their small swords as time went on, and the others were glad of this, for they needed help from everyone.  
  
As they finally left the forest of Lalelasill, they entered a widespread plain. It was full of dust and dirt, scattered trees and bushes, but they were more at ease here than they were in the evil forest. It was now mid afternoon, and the sun was bright, with its rays continuously stretching farther and farther across the blue sky. It was quite hot, and the air swirled around them with warmth and humidity. They decided to take a brief break to sit and drink the small amount of water they had in their canteens. They were all unusually talkative seeing that no one hardly spoke all day.  
  
Merry, Pippin and Sam were playing tag, while Aragorn, Gimli, and Boromir sat and drank their water, discussing what was ahead on their journey. Legolas, surprisingly wasn't sitting far away from the others, and Frodo sat next to him. Frodo decided to be the one to start a conversation between the two of them. Besides, they rarely talked to each other much anymore.  
  
"So Legolas, tell me what happened in that forest. Did you find anything interesting? Did you see anything scary?" Frodo asked curiously, eyes widening at each question he asked. Legolas laughed lightly at Frodo's sudden curiosity in his secret adventure. "Hobbits shouldn't be so nosy, you know? I have no news for you I'm afraid, for I didn't see anything of interest. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Frodo." Legolas gave a playful frown and began to smile. Frodo shook his head and giggled. "Too bad." Frodo turned his attention to the shiny, gold ring that hung on a string around his neck. He moved his finger around it slowly, examining it. He couldn't pull his eyes from it. He just kept staring at it as if it were something beyond his own understanding.  
  
Legolas soon took notice of this, and turned his own attention toward it. He first looked at the ring, and then at Frodo. His eyes moved back and forth for awhile, looking at both the ring and Frodo in wonder. Now is my chance, he thought. Everyone else was involved in their own side conversations with each other. If he could just get Frodo away for awhile, he could put his plan into action…  
  
"Woo, it sure is hot isn't it?" Frodo stated out of nowhere, still fiddling with the ring. "Yes it is. You know what? Let's go take a little walk for a bit, just me and you. We hardly ever get to talk one on one. What do you say?" Legolas tried his hardest to look as innocent and sincere as possible and he knew Frodo was very gullible. "Sure!" Frodo replied excitedly. Legolas smiled and he was proud of himself for completing the first part of "the plan": getting Frodo alone.  
  
Legolas and Frodo got up and without thought brushed all the dust off of them. They began to walk side by side, and engaged in a new conversation right away. Aragorn saw them get up and instinctively asked where they were going. "We're just taking a short walk. We'll be back in a bit." Frodo replied and flashed a thrilled smile at Aragorn. Frodo never felt as close to Legolas as he did to the others, and he always thought that the elf was somewhat standoffish. But now was his chance to get closer to him, at least try to. Aragorn wasn't as worried about this as he would have been if it were happening when Legolas was acting so strangely, so he let them go. Aragorn turned back to Boromir and Gimli. "It's nice to see everyone getting along as we were before, isn't it?" Gimli said with a big grin on his face. "Yes, it is very much so." Aragorn said blandly. Aragorn looked back at the two walking together, but he pushed his silly worries away and turned back around again.  
  
So Legolas and Frodo walked for awhile. Legolas soon put the second part of "the plan" into action: getting the ring away from Frodo as smoothly and as quickly as possible.  
  
They sat down under a nearby tree to get cool from the shade. They were silent for a moment, and Legolas was contemplating what he could say to get the ring from Frodo's possession. Frodo decided to break the silence, and he simply asked, "So…what shall we talk about now?" Frodo looked up at Legolas's face. Legolas merely shrugged. He didn't want to bring up the ring when they weren't even discussing it.  
  
"I cannot wait until we destroy this hideous ring! Don't you feel the same?" Frodo said bluntly. He honestly wanted to get rid of the ring, and he felt it was a burden to himself and everyone else. "Well, if I was wearing it around my neck so much, I guess I would feel the same." Frodo looked confused. "What do you mean?" Legolas struggled not to smile, for he knew in his mind the plan was working. "All I know is if I had to wear that ring around my neck all the time, I would hate it. Honestly! Anyone that sees you knows you as 'The Ringbearer', and no one wants to have anything to do with someone that holds that evil ring. Do you see what I mean?" Frodo slowly nodded, for he did see Legolas's point. "You're right, Legolas. Why do I have to wear the ring? I mean, I don't want to be seen as someone as hateful as Sauron!" Frodo grew angry, realizing the evil that had been hanging from his neck for quite some time now.  
  
"No one wants to be seen as Sauron, Frodo. I would be upset if I were you, too, so don't feel bad. If you didn't want to feel this way anymore, you could do something…" Frodo turned his head toward Legolas. "Oh, really? What could I do then? I'm sick of this ring, and I personally wish it would just go away. But since it can't, what's a temporary solution?"  
  
Legolas was loving this. He was just ecstatic that he could easily manipulate Frodo. He was unsure if he could get away with it, but so far it was working. "It's rather simple actually, Frodo. Just ask someone else to wear the ring for you for awhile. Sure, it's a huge favor to ask of someone, but if you ask someone you truly trust and care for, I'm sure they would do it for you!" Legolas gave an honest and encouraging smile.  
  
Frodo smiled back. Frodo thought it was a good idea, and decided he would give it a try. "Alright, I will then! But whom shall I give it to? I trust all of you so much, but I'm not sure who I should ask…" Frodo appeared to look puzzled. This was it, Legolas thought. The one chance he has to get the ring away from him, so he took it…  
  
"Frodo, you know you could give it –"  
  
Legolas felt a hand grab his shoulder by surprise, and he turned around swiftly. "Did I scare you two?" Aragorn asked grinning. "Of course not! You don't scare me!" Frodo giggled and jumped up punching Aragorn playfully. "Good! We have to start moving again. Come along."  
  
Legolas didn't say a word. He was too frightened to say anything. He got up and continued on with the others, but he was scared out of his mind. Did Aragorn hear all that he was saying to Frodo? He hoped not. If he did, wouldn't Aragorn say something to him? As scared as he was at that moment, he was also just as furious. Aragorn ruined everything. Everything was going fine until HE came along. Legolas walked behind Aragorn and dug his eyes into the back of his head, hoping Aragorn would feel it… 


	8. Chapter 8 -- Nearly Caught --

1 Chapter 8 – Nearly Caught  
  
And so they continued on their journey to Mordor. No one talked much as they were leaving the plain. In fact, there was some sort of eerie silence in the air as they tramped off into the evening. Everyone had noticed Legolas was being his normal self lately, but not now. He was once again at the back of the line, staying as distant as possible from the others. Especially Aragorn.  
  
The plain soon turned into a grassy field that seemed to go on forever. Only Legolas could possibly see where it ended. The shades in the sky kept getting darker and darker as they continued to walk. The silence continued for awhile, until Frodo broke the silence.  
  
"Hey Legolas…who did you say I should give it to again?" Everyone sort of froze in their tracks, and one by one they all turned around to look at Frodo, and then at Legolas. Legolas's eyes widened at the words and could feel his heart race. No way would he actually say something out loud in front of everyone, would he? Legolas began to panic. "What is he talking about, Legolas?" Aragorn interrogated softly, as not to make a big deal over something that was surely small and insignificant. Legolas just stood there. He couldn't even move. He didn't know what to say at all, and didn't want to open his mouth and give an excuse that was not thought out. He only wished he could think of one of the many excuses that the fairies taught him to say right now, but his mind went blank. "Umm…" That's all his lips could form…and he couldn't force any words out, although he tried.  
  
"Maybe he doesn't remember…" said Frodo. "Legolas told me the most brilliant thing earlier!" Legolas felt like his heart was trying to escape from his chest. It continued to beat faster with every word Frodo said. Legolas still stood there as frozen as a statue.  
  
"He said I should –" In a split second Legolas grabbed Frodo from behind and put his hand over Frodo's mouth covering the words that could destroy the elf forever. Frodo's words were muffled from Legolas's hand, and he soon gave up speaking. The rest of the Fellowship looked at Legolas in shock. They were speechless for a moment, just as Legolas was. But now he could finally form some words. He laughed nervously and gradually moved his hand away from Frodo's mouth. "Sshhh Frodo! It's just a little secret between Frodo and I, nothing of concern!" He smiled and continued to laugh uncontrollably. "Just a little joke between us."  
  
Frodo started tugging at Legolas's shirt questioning what he was talking about. Legolas smiled and put his index finger over his lips informing him to be quiet. He patted Frodo on the head and smiled. "Our secret, remember?" Frodo was completely confused now, but decided against starting an argument. No one moved. No one even knew what to say. They remembered how strangely Legolas had been acting, and were a little suspicious of his motives now and then. They all glanced at each other, silently asking what they should do next. "If you say so, Legolas." Aragorn looked at him almost coldly, but tried to hide it. "Let us keep going then, if we have nothing to worry about."  
  
They all turned around and slowly started walking again, when Legolas retorted without thinking, "Of course! Nothing to worry about!" He laughed lightly, yet no one laughed. His smile slowly disappeared, and then Gimli gave a fake laugh to make Legolas feel more comfortable. "Of course there's nothing to worry about! Let us go…as Aragorn said!" He turned around and was soon at the front of the line attempting to have everyone else follow him. Luckily they did, although they were somewhat hesitant now because of the little shake up that had just occurred.  
  
They all resumed their regular spots in the line, and Aragorn was at the front again. Legolas decided it was best to stay where he had been earlier, at the back of the line, out of harm's way. But something was telling him to go and talk to Aragorn. He had a feeling that there was a good chance Aragorn had heard what he and Frodo had been discussing on their little "walk" together on the plain. He had to know, but he had to be discreet, not letting him know anything about it just in case he in fact didn't know anything. He only hoped he didn't overhear anything…  
  
Aragorn turned to his left and saw Legolas walking next to him now. Aragorn glanced at him but quickly shifted his gaze back to what was right in front of him. The moon was full and bright now, with stars sprinkled all over the sky shining as bright as possible, maybe to give the Fellowship some extra light this evening. Legolas began to speak.  
  
"You didn't happen to hear anything when you came up to Frodo and I earlier today did you Aragorn?" Legolas spoke softly so no one else could hear his words. Aragorn looked up at the sky. "What if I did?" Aragorn said plainly hoping not to get Legolas stirred up. "I'm simply asking. Please? What did you hear?"  
  
Aragorn laughed a little at Legolas's questions. "Elves should not worry so, you know it isn't good for you." Legolas was beginning to get mad, and his face showed it. Aragorn noticed this, and quickly gave an answer. "No, Legolas. I did not hear anything. I only wanted to give you two a good scare, and apparently it worked." He began to laugh again lightly. Legolas gave out a sigh of relief, which he hoped Aragorn wouldn't hear. It would only make him suspicious. But of course, Aragorn heard it. "And if you claim you weren't talking about anything of importance why do you care if I heard?"  
  
Aragorn was good at trying to get people to confess the truth. Thankfully, Legolas found his way around it this time. "I was just wondering that's all." That's all he could think of. Maybe it wasn't that good of an answer, but he wanted to get away from the question as quickly as possible…and it worked.  
  
"Alright then. You really need to get some rest when we stop again Legolas. You know I can look out for things for I hardly sleep. Quit your worrying, okay?"  
  
Legolas didn't say anything. He just kept walking and tried his hardest to keep his eyes away from Aragorn. Guilt overflowed him but he shoved the guilt away as his new "friends" taught him to.  
  
Silence soon grew again, and all you could hear was feet tramping through the tall grass now surrounding them. Although Aragorn was good at making people confess the truth, he was good at lying when it was necessary. Let's just say Aragorn's hearing was extra sensitive back on the plain… 


	9. Chapter 9 -- A Warning --

1 Chapter 9 – A Warning  
  
As they went farther into this grassy field that was new to their eyes, they decided this was where they would stay the night. The air grew colder and they all struggled to keep warm. Boromir and Gimli rummaged through the grass to find some stray twigs for a fire. The hobbits were lying down and whispering to each other, giggles came from them here and there as well.  
  
Everyone except Legolas and Aragorn seemed at peace. A small fire was soon started, and they all gathered around it…all but (of course) Legolas. Legolas went back to his old plan of staying away from Aragorn to keep his temper under control. His selfish, evil feelings flowed through his body, making him weak. He watched as the others surrounded the tiny fire, and talked amongst themselves. He felt left out, but he almost didn't care. He didn't bother with worrying about what "they" thought of him anymore. What they thought didn't matter. The only people that mattered now in Legolas's life were the fairies he now called his "adopted family".  
  
The others soon found themselves lying around sluggishly, but the rest was well deserved. Aragorn was sitting up polishing his sword again as he usually did when he had nothing else to do. Legolas observed him from a distance trying not to make unwanted eye contact. Boromir and Gimli were sound asleep, while some of the hobbits were talking in their sleep.  
  
Aragorn noticed this, and started to laugh. "It's nice to see them sleep. These once worry-free hobbits now have so much hanging over them. I only wish Bilbo never gave the ring to poor little Frodo…"  
  
If you saw Aragorn right now, you would think he was talking to himself. But his words were intended for Legolas to hear. And yes, Aragorn did hear something Legolas did not want him to know about, but he tried his best to keep the peace. It was better for everyone else that way.  
  
Legolas indeed heard Aragorn's words, but chose to ignore them. Aragorn looked back to see what Legolas was up to, and he was merely staring off somewhere into space as he sometimes would do, but definitely not very often. Legolas had changed. Something changed him, and Aragorn only wanted to know what. He knew it wasn't something good, for if it were, he wouldn't be acting the way he had been recently.  
  
"Legolas?" Aragorn said quietly, as not to wake the others. Legolas looked at Aragorn and raised his eyebrows, asking what he wanted without speaking. "If there is something wrong, you really should tell me. I know we haven't been getting along too well lately, but can't we try? For everyone else's sake? Just tell me what has been bothering you…so we can stop bickering."  
  
Legolas rolled his eyes at him. "Why would I tell you if something was wrong? You're not my best friend you know…" Legolas said with a superior tone, his voice gradually getting louder. "I never said we had to be best friends…and I'm sure there's something wrong because…"  
  
Legolas started to laugh meanly. "Would you please spare me a lecture? It's enough that you have to order me around all the time…" Legolas put his hands behind his head and leaned back again. He stared up at the huge black space above him, and didn't even wait for Aragorn's response.  
  
Aragorn had had enough. He couldn't take his inconsiderate remarks any longer. He had to make it stop…  
  
Aragorn jumped up to his feet and gently walked over to where Legolas was lying down. He would have run over there, but he thought it would be too loud and he might wake everyone up. Legolas didn't even notice Aragorn getting closer to him; he was obviously daydreaming about something. Probably thinking up more ways to get the ring away from the almost foolishly trusting Frodo.  
  
Aragorn was now standing right over Legolas. Legolas, clearly not paying any attention, continued to have his eyes fixed on the dark night sky. Suddenly, Aragorn grabbed Legolas by the front of his shirt, and jerked him up. Legolas nearly had a heart attack as he gasped, stunned at what was happening. Aragorn held him up as he got right in his face. Aragorn's eyes grew wider as he stared into the elf's eyes. He wasn't even an inch away from him. His eyes, filled with rage dug deeper into Legolas's. Legolas wanted to back away but he couldn't, for Aragorn had the strongest hold on him ever imaginable. Then Aragorn said, practically whispering… "I AM WARNING YOU. DROP THE ATTITUDE NOW OR ELSE. DON'T MESS WITH ME, YOU INCOMPETENT, CONCEITED ELF."  
  
Aragorn threw Legolas back onto the ground, and Legolas was stunned out of his mind. Legolas just sat there, with his hands holding his upper body up and his legs streched out, staring at Aragorn. He was breathing quickly and felt like he could get no air whatsoever to travel into his lungs. Aragorn slowly walked back to where he had been sitting earlier, and glared at Legolas. He began to polish his sword again, acting as if nothing had happened.  
  
Now it was Legolas's time to really be scared. He never thought Aragorn would blow up like that, especially at him. Legolas questioned whether Aragorn was telling the truth about him actually knowing anything that was said on the plain. He looked around and saw everyone sleeping. They looked as though they had no worries at all. But Legolas certainly had something to worry about now. Aragorn's anger overwhelmed him.  
  
He had to figure out some way to get the ring from Frodo, without Aragorn ever finding out. There had to be a way. All he knew was that he was going to get that ring no matter what it would take. No matter what… 


	10. Chapter 10 -- A Major Mistake --

1 Chapter 10 – A Major Mistake  
  
The silence continued to flow through the air the rest of that night. Their eyes were tightly closed and when they would open they did not really care. They were glad to finally get some well-deserved rest. Miraculously no one heard Legolas and Aragorn's little fight either. This was obviously a good thing.  
  
Bright and early the next morning they were off. Everyone got up sluggishly for no one really wanted to wake up. It was a real treat to sleep so long and so peacefully for a change. As they began to travel out of the grassy field they had slept in, Legolas was trying his best to avoid Aragorn. He was honestly scared of him now. He knew what Aragorn could do and didn't want to make him angry again. So he thought it was best to keep his distance from him, at least for now.  
  
The Fellowship was refreshed and had a lot more energy since they got some sleep, so there was much talking going on. The hobbits teased each other as usual and played their silly little games, while Boromir and Gimli talked to each other. Aragorn didn't speak unless spoken to. Everyone found it odd, but no one questioned it. They, too, knew getting Aragorn mad would be a major mistake that you could not make up for.  
  
Of course Legolas not speaking wasn't much of a shock for the others, so there was no need to question it. It was a waste of time to question him when he would not answer or flash a dirty look. He simply walked in the back of the line trying to stop thinking about what Aragorn would possibly do to him if he got him riled up again.  
  
They walked for hours, until it reached noon. That is when they decided they should stop for a bit. This was the first time Aragorn had spoken so far that day. They were all relieved to hear him give directions for that is what they were used to hearing. Seeing him so quiet and almost worried about something wasn't what they were used to at all.  
  
And so they took a break to relax. They were now in a new forest, not an evil one, but almost a holy one. This forest was different from all the others they had seen. This forest had a sort of glow to it, like Heaven was shining its light into it instead of the sun. It looked pure and sacred, like nothing hateful could ever ruin it. The Fellowship immediately felt at ease as they entered this gorgeous forest. No one could help but smile. But Legolas sure could help it…  
  
Aragorn began to smile as well. "Well, isn't this a nice place to take a break in?" Everyone nodded as they looked around at the beauty of this forest. Legolas just glared at Aragorn. He didn't want anything to do with this forest. It looked all too nice and innocent for him. He had definitely changed from his old self.  
  
They all set their stuff down and either sat down or wandered off to take a closer look at their magnificent surroundings. There was a beautiful stream running through the forest that the hobbits instantly ran to take a look at. Boromir, Gimli and Aragorn all sat down and watched them play. The hobbits had the hearts of a child and it showed. It was nice to see them having a good time.  
  
Legolas, on the other hand, was not having a good time at all. He wanted out of this, according to him, "horrid" forest and he needed to get the ring away from Frodo. He reminded himself that he had to get it away from him no matter what. No matter what the circumstances. It had to be soon. It had to be now. He might as well take it while they were on this break…  
  
As soon as he could make sure Aragorn wasn't paying attention to him or the hobbits anymore, he slowly crept behind the trees and made his way over to the stream. Only Frodo was playing near the stream now while the other hobbits had ran away somewhere to play tag. It seemed like an eternity before Legolas could finally get over to the stream without being noticed. At last he made it. He breathed out slowly as his worries of being caught sneaking around went away.  
  
He walked up behind Frodo slowly and put his hands over Frodo's eyes. "Guess who?" Legolas asked playfully. Frodo liked this game. "Is it Legolas?" Frodo asked laughing. Legolas uncovered his eyes and Frodo turned around to see it was in fact Legolas. "What are you doing over here, Frodo?"  
  
"Oh I was just looking at this stream. It's so beautiful isn't it?" Legolas nodded in agreement. Soon the ring captured Legolas's eyes. He stood there staring at it for a moment. He had to make his move…  
  
"Do you remember what we talked about before Frodo? About the ring?" Legolas tried to ask sincerely as he kicked the random pebbles lying around into the see-through stream. "Yes I do. Actually I was meaning to talk to you about that Legolas…"  
  
Legolas's eyes lit up in excitement. This was it. He had to have decided that he would let Legolas hold onto the ring for awhile. Legolas didn't imagine that it was going to be this easy, but if that's the way it happens, he won't be complaining.  
  
"I really want you to hold onto the ring for me. But it's just…" Frodo couldn't find the words to say. Legolas's anger was starting to rise. "What is it?" Legolas tried to ask without any annoyance in his voice, although that was hard for him to do. "It's just maybe we should ask Aragorn first because…"  
  
"No!" Legolas almost shouted automatically. Frodo looked stunned at his reaction. "I mean…this has nothing to do with Aragorn. It's just between me and you remember?" Legolas tried his hardest to save face, but he wasn't sure if it was going to work. "You know you can trust me…right Frodo?"  
  
"Of course I trust you Legolas! I just don't know…" He started to fiddle with the ring. Legolas was ready to let his anger come out. He tried to keep it under control though. "It's okay, Frodo. Just give me the ring and it will all be better."  
  
Frodo continued to play with the golden ring. Frodo sighed. "If it's for the best…"  
  
Meanwhile, Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship were talking amongst themselves. Aragorn realized that Legolas and Frodo were nowhere in sight. He got up and looked towards the stream. There they were. It looked as though they were talking, and it didn't look good. Aragorn grew very suspicious. "I will be right back."  
  
He inched his way towards the stream so Frodo and Legolas would not notice him. As he grew closer to them, he could finally hear what they were saying so he stopped where he was.  
  
"It is for the best, Frodo. Just give me the ring, alright? There's nothing to worry about. I'm sure he wouldn't mind…" Worry was all over Frodo's face now, and he started to shake his head as he held the ring. Aragorn cursed himself for leaving his sword behind. There was no telling what he might have to do…  
  
Legolas was steaming. It should be easier than this. He looked around to make sure no one was around, and he didn't see anyone. "Frodo…please?" The words that came from his mouth were obviously desperate, and Frodo held the ring away from him. Aragorn jumped out from the tree he was hiding behind and approached Legolas. Legolas nearly jumped out of his skin. "What's wrong, Frodo?" Aragorn asked in a concerned tone. Frodo just stared at Legolas with his big, innocent eyes full of fear.  
  
Legolas flashed Aragorn an evil look warning him to go away. Aragorn was not going to have it. The 3 of them just stood there exchanging looks, unsure of what to do. In an instant, Legolas quickly grabbed for Frodo, and he successfully pulled the string holding the ring of pure hatred over the little hobbit's head. Frodo yelled at him to give it back, but Legolas backed away holding the string in his left hand. "LEGOLAS!" Aragorn yelled and was outraged at what was happening. "GIVE IT BACK TO HIM OR ELSE…" Legolas continued to back away, now Aragorn was the one getting closer and closer to him. As he stepped back slowly he was nearing the edge of the stream. Aragorn continued to walk towards him, causing him to keep taking steps backward. "GIVE HIM THE RING LEGOLAS!" Aragorn was furious. He should have kept a better eye on him. "NO I WON'T!" Legolas practically screamed, and his blue eyes flashed red for a moment. This scared the life out of Frodo, and he was about to cry. Aragorn reassured him he would be alright, and continued to make Legolas back up.  
  
"GIVE IT TO HIM! I ORDER YOU TO GIVE HIM THE RING!" Aragorn shouted, and the rest of the Fellowship started to walk over to the stream as they heard the commotion. "I WON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU ANY LONGER!" Aragorn's blood was boiling as those words came from the elf's lips. Aragorn was almost on top of Legolas, and Legolas took one more step back. As he took that step back, there was nothing to step on except the water, and he fell into the stream.  
  
A huge splash came from the stream, and by this time everyone was watching. Their mouths all hung open in shock. Aragorn jumped in the stream, ready to fight for the ring. Legolas held onto the ring for dear life as Aragorn tried with all his strength to get the ring out of his grip. He had hoped he could at least grab it and throw it, as long as it was away from Legolas. Punches were thrown left and right, and some blood could now be seen in the crystal clear water. The rest of the Fellowship watched mortified at what was now occurring. They couldn't believe Legolas would do this…  
  
Legolas's eyes would flash red every once in awhile, and every time it succeeded in startling everyone. Legolas would not budge in giving up the ring. Legolas had gone completely insane and mad and Aragorn could not allow this to go on any longer. There was no way Legolas would go back to his normal self again. So Aragorn did what he had to do…  
  
As Legolas flailed around in the water trying to get Aragorn off of him, Aragorn grabbed hold of the elf's slender neck and pushed down. He used all his power to hold him under the water, but Legolas kept kicking him and eventually emerged from the water gasping for air and punching Aragorn. This time Legolas got him right in the nose, and blood poured out uncontrollably. Even though it hurt Aragorn couldn't stop fighting back.  
  
This continued for about 15 minutes, and finally, Aragorn held Legolas under the water. Legolas shook around under the water trying with all his might to kick and hit Aragorn, hoping Aragorn would let him go and give up. But he wouldn't. Legolas tried to resist Aragorn's force on his head that was holding him under, but he couldn't. Aragorn held him under for 10 minutes, and suddenly, there was no more movement. Aragorn's heart was beating a million times a second and was breathing fast. His eyes searched around the water below him to see if he was moving. He wasn't. Aragorn let go of Legolas's head and let the body slowly rise up from under the water. The lifeless body floated to the top and splashed Aragorn. He saw the ring was still held in his left hand, and pried open his fingers to release the ring. He threw it onto the ground near the others.  
  
Aragorn was shocked that he had actually drowned Legolas. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes. He looked at the rest of the Fellowship as he got out of the water. They all looked at each other in surprise. Most of them were crying, or about to cry. Aragorn let the tears fall down his face and he picked up the ring from the ground and handed it to Frodo. He embraced Frodo as Frodo sobbed in his arms. "I'm so sorry." Frodo sniffled and looked up at Aragorn. "I thought he was trustworthy and…" Aragorn comforted Frodo. "It's alright, Frodo. It's not your fault."  
  
They all stood there as they watched Legolas's body flow down the stream. The body was face down in the water floating along; his beautiful blonde hair scattered around his head with the red streak showing vibrantly now. It took an hour for them to collect themselves again.  
  
"So we will continue to Mordor now, right Aragorn?" Frodo asked quietly as they walked away from the stream slowly. No one could find the words to say. Everyone was disappointed in Legolas, and truly missed him…at least they missed the old Legolas. But what happened was for the best…  
  
"Of course, Frodo." Aragorn replied. They slowly made their way out of the gorgeous forest that was the resource in taking Legolas's life that was heading down the wrong road anyway. As they walked they looked up into the clouds, remembering how Legolas would always look out into the sky with his mesmerizing blue eyes. If only he never became so selfish…  
  
--THE END-- 


End file.
